Tag Archives: kids crafts

One more day until Boo At The Zoo and we realized we didn’t have treat bags for the twins. I have made myself so many of these upcycled t-shirt bags but have never made a tutorial for them. This is a super simple project that is great for kids who can handle scissors well. These little guys can stretch out and the handles are great for tying closed. They are strong, stretchy, and very portable. These bags are a great way to re-use that old Metallica T-Shirt from yesteryear… (Dad, I’m talking to you!) Here is a tutorial for turning that old favorite into a functional accessory! These are mini treat bags for pint-sized looters, but you could make them any size!

To begin you want to cut the sleeves and collar of the shirt. It doesn’t have to be perfect. If there is a little extra seam when you’re done just snip that off too. Next you’ll cut two notches in the very bottom of the shirt where the seam is. This creates a tube for closing.

Photo: White Mage Knits

Photo: White Mage Knits

Now, turn your shirt inside out. Take some string (I used cotton yarn for strength) and thread it through the tube with a safety pin, darning needle, or bobby pin. Go in one notch, all the way through, back in the second notch, and come out next to where you went in. Pull tight, tie a knot, then wrap both strings around to make a bulge at the bottom of the bag, tie a bunch of knots. This makes sure there is no hole and adds weight to the bottom of the bag so it isn’t so floppy. If you don’t like how this looks you can actually sew the bottom instead. You could even add a lining if you want. I made these purely for utility so behold my unruly bulge closure, beautiful right?

Note: If sewing I usually sew the shirt flat across the bottom using a zig-zag stitch.

Photo: White Mage Knits

Finally, turn the bag right side out and give the bottom a good pull in all directions to get as much of the shirt out of the string bulge as you can. Give your straps a little tug to finish your edges (some roll, some don’t). Viola! Your very own upcycled shirt bag! Have you made a shirt bag? If so leave a photo in the comments! Happy Halloween my crafty friends!

I took a few ideas from the February issue of Parent’s Magazine and put our own spin on them for Marley’s Valentine’s Day crafts. We used the following supplies:

Some items are not visible in the photo including pink yarn, pink construction paper, red construction paper, a paper plate for the paint, and some markers.

I used the ruler and pencil to mark and cut a square from the watercolor paper then drew a light 2×2 grid as a guide for her. The two extra rectangles were used for the bookmarks. After mixing the pink and red watercolors she painted two squares pink, two squares red, then did her own thing on the bookmark papers. While we let the watercolors dry we did the handprint hearts.

We traced four of her hands, three for the door hanger and one for Daddy’s card. We folded one piece of each colored construction paper in half and traced her hand on them with her thumb and index fingers touching the folded edge. Then I cut all four out, let her decorate them, and punched two holes in each. After the papers were dry we used the toilet paper roll to stamp the acrylic paint on them, we had to squash the heart a bit for it to fit on the bookmarks.

Finally, once everything was dry I punched a hole in each corner of the hearts picture, and the tops of the bookmarks. I cut some pink yarn and threaded it through the picture and hands. Viola!

Marley and I made some play dough the other day and I thought I would share the recipe. I remember my parents making us homemade playdough as a kid but it was always so salty, smelled really funny, and wasn’t the same texture as actual playdough. This recipe turned out great and we will soon be making more colors!

You will need:

1 cup flour

¼ cup salt

1 tbsp cream of tartar

1 tbsp vegetable oil

¾ cup water

food coloring (optional)

vegetable glycerin (optional)

Instructions:

Put water on stove top to boil. Meanwhile, mix all dry ingredients and vegetable oil in a large mixing bowl. Add food coloring to water once boiling and pour about half of it into the bowl. Mix while adding small increments of the water until it becomes a combined, sticky dough. Add glycerin, mix, and allow to set to cool. The glycerin helps prevent sticky while adding some shine.

Once cooled knead the dough for at least 4-5 minutes. Do not skimp on this part as it is the most important part of the process! Just keep kneading until it is the right consistency. If you find the dough is still sticky you’ve added just a hair too much water. Add a tiny bit more flour and continue kneading. Once it is the perfect consistency it’s ready for play! Store in an air-tight container for up to six months. We store ours in a ziplock bag and keep it in the pantry. Be sure to rinse hands after play, as the flour can leave a dry texture behind. It is also a good idea to wash hands before play to prevent bacteria and dirt from getting into the playdough; just so it lasts longer. Enjoy!